Veep Season 7 Episode 2: ‘Discovery Weekend’

The story so far: Selina Meyer is riding a wave of popularity and has announced her bid for presidency. Jonah is also attracting voters despite constantly committing political suicide every time he opens his mouth. More and more Democrats keep announcing they are running for the White House. Amy is trying to deal with her pregnancy and how she feels about Dan. Team Meyer has tightened up to prevent the mistakes of previous years from happening, but can Selina not sabotage herself?

The premiere for the final season of Veep was a great episode that set many things in motion. Selina is more popular than she seemingly has ever been, yet her team continues to mess up. The second episode continues to deal with the idea of mistakes. Previous seasons have shown how Selina does not accept responsibility for her missteps while not tolerating those of others.

The second episode hammers this point in. Many times, Selina makes decisions that may end up being detrimental to her eventual Presidential run. It was established in the first season of Veep that Selina has a weakness for men. As long as they say the right things to her, she becomes flustered and cannot think clearly. This has been used against her many times. It is done again here, and while the aftermath is expected and funny, it does not carry the same weight with viewers as it has previously.

More effective is Selina’s interactions with a potential running mate. Her initial reaction at a two women ticket is incredibly funny and shows that Selina is as just as much a part of the old guard she tries to bring down. The following conversation the two have is even more hilarious. Veep has always done a good job of satirizing what is currently happening in society and Selina’s comments and reactions here are a showcase of the show’s great writing.

Jonah may be the funniest character on a show filled with them. His run for the the nation’s highest office has been filled with great moments. His personal life has been made a matter of public record. Though his team thought it may hurt him, it has actually helped him with a certain segment of the population. Episode two deals with even more allegations about Jonah’s past. The #MeToo movement is lampooned in a hilarious fashion that does not belittle anyone besides Jonah.

Veep has always been a well written show. There are constant callbacks to the real world and previous seasons. For whatever reason, every once in a while the show will come off as rushed or even seems to forget plot points. The biggest example of this is Selina’s pregnancy early in the show’s run. An entire episode is spent asking “is she or isn’t she?” The payoff is well written and plays off of Presidents receiving momentous news while addressing young children. Early in the next episode, there is a throwaway line about Selina’s miscarriage. Every time it seems like there is going to be more to it, it is just sort of shrugged off. It stands out as one the lowlights of the series.

In the first episode of the this season, Selina hired the wrong person to be her campaign manager. It was funny and had a nice pay off at the end of the show. There is no mention of the incident this episode. This is not a big deal as there does not seem to be much more to it. The incident shows how oblivious Selina can be. It is just odd to see such an important decision not even be addressed. However, the season is still young and who knows what will happen.

The second episode of Veep is another strong one that highlights the changes and lives of the characters. It is very interesting to see the dynamic between Amy and Dan. The season also seems to be showcasing how narrow minded of a person Selina can be. Veep is an incredibly witty show with strong characters that is the perfect commentary on today’s world.

Veep S7 E2 'Discovery Weekend'

Is it good?

Another strong episode that is topical, funny, and a little disheartening. It will be fun to see Selina on the campaign trail again.